CTB – Flash — Likes, the Universe and Everything

[Intro text]

READY: Connections

[Subhead]

[Subhead]

Guesses: 0 | | | How to play

[Subhead]

If you only ever play one legacy game, play this one. The Ticket to Ride formula that has helped so many people find their way back to the joy of gaming as adults soars to new heights in this thoughtful and engrossing legacy campaign. For the uninitiated, legacy games are progressive campaign-style games that put a spin on an established favorite like Pandemic, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and in this case, Ticket to Ride. Each game should be played with the same group, with successive rounds introducing new elements, mechanics and rules, and potentially altering the board or other components — permanently. It’s the ultimate in immersive shared experiences and a massively rewarding structure for frequent gameplayers. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West finds players managing their very own railroad company during the great expansion across the country. The classic components of collecting and playing cards to claim routes remain, but surprising new elements are here too. My group plays once a month and has found each round better than the previous — the components in the box are premium, the new elements fun and memorable, and the overall arc of the campaign is wildly satisfying.

I came across Patchwork during a long airport wait on a business trip. We went to a local game shop and asked for a two-player game that was small enough to play in an airport lounge, quick-to-learn, but strategic enough to revisit. Said the man, “Patchwork is the one for you.” And an obsession was born. Part tile-laying game, part resource management game and part puzzle game, Patchwork challenges players to build the best quilt they can by purchasing pieces from a limited set and accumulating more perfection and points than their opponent. Bonus: If you don’t have a pal around to play or want to beef up your skills, a mobile version of the game that will challenge you to within an inch of your limits is available for about $5.

Simple. Strategic. Replayable. These are the cornerstones of games you can play with anyone. Love Letter has all of that, and it can fit in your pocket. It’s the game I take on every trip and have played everywhere from France to New Zealand to South Dakota. Love Letter asks players to outlast and outrank their opponents in a simple elimination-based card game. Cards representing a royal court with associated traits and powers are dealt, one to each player, and players must use logic and deduction to identify which cards their opponents hold and how to knock them out.

Never heard of it? That’s probably because most folks haven’t. Tantilizer is an obscure “optical puzzle” game from the 1960s that I found by chance in an antique store. Here’s the rule, if I find an old, weird game, I buy it. Tantalizer is the reason why that’s a rule. I picked it up and had to know — from directions that jokingly (or not) tell the player to take Quaaludes before starting to a bizarre set of mirrors and marbles and rods that are used to play through a series of mind-bending puzzles, Tantilizer is an experience. And one that’s best shared with good friends on silly nights.

Call it shameless self-promotion if you will, but I have to dedicate some space here to Dados Dichos, a dice game my friends and designed inspired by all of those push-your-luck, shut-the-box style regional games you encounter at bars and on people’s porches. We love the feel of the dice, the ability to play and yap, and the approachability of a game that’s all about… well, rolling the dice. With light strategy and plenty of flexibility, Dados Dichos is the game we reach for when we want something to spice up any ol’ day.

Sushi Go Party

Cribbage

Lords of Waterdeep

Age of War

Name